Left Jaw Pain 0/10
Right Jaw Pain: 0/10
Hip Pain: 1/10
Inconvenience factor: 4/10
63 days without donning my old faithfuls to hit the trails seems unbelievable.... the withdrawal symptoms have definitely kicked in......I am ready, I have been thinking about this all week - I am finally consuming enough calories, I have my energy and bounce back, and I hardly notice my hip when walking any more. Surely I am ready for a wee jog?!?!? Just 20 to 30 minutes along the beach to the jetty and back! Should be a piece of cake!
The alarm goes off at 6:45am, I pull on my running gear, lace up my shoes and step out in the crisp morning. I return to the house to grab another layer of clothes, mentally check myself and try again! My first few paces are tentative and slow, not sure how the hip is going to go - all is good and I ease into my stride - across the park, over the road, up the hill, down to the beach all smiles and buzzing in the joy of an old friend. I set my sights on the jetty in the distance, locking in a 4.5km circuit. I can do this!!!
About 8 mins into the run my hip sends me a quick memo.....I momentarily wonder if I should stop and walk for a bit......Nah! That hardly hurts at all. I know what pain is and that ain't even a 1 on the chart yet! Jetty here I come! You are all probably shaking your heads at me right now but let me tell you it was not my hip that was my undoing....
It seems that every part of my body that missed out on the pity party of the past 9 weeks has decided to have has something to say to me! 2 minutes after the hip twinge, my knees started playing up, then a toe and then my guts cramped like nobody's business to the point it took my breathe away. That pulled me up short! What now? I'm only 10mins in this run, I can't stop now - I refuse to walk!!! But I'm not insane, I aborted the jetty dream, mapped out a shortcut and took 8 mins to run home in the most awkward half crunched over gait you've ever seen.
Recovery from the guts attack was not swift. It was not pretty. It involved a 'bathroom break', followed by lying on cold tiles and then sitting under a cold shower. Eventually, I came good and managed to limp my way to work. By the end of the day my leg muscles were already stiff and sore - I find this hard to comprehend! I only ran for 18 mins. PATHETHIC!! Have I really lost every scrap of my fitness? It would appear that 9 weeks of being sedentary has sent me right back to the beginning like that dreaded serpent at Number 99 on the snakes and ladders board. Arrgh!!!
My week of chewing has been interesting. My teeth don't line up at all well at the moment, I think this is because the muscles on the left side of my face have loosened, where as the right side muscles are still spme what stiff and tight and create distinct resistance to my jaw opening. This all results in a very uneven biting mechanism and the teeth on my left side never actually meeting. To make matters worse, I keep biting on my numb lip. So, whilst I persist in it, chewing is rather slow and awkward and is definitely not a pretty sight for the beholder!
The left side of my numb lip and chin has been tingling pins and needles permanently for a number of days now. Whilst, I'm taking this as a great sign for nerve recovery (hopefully), it is also HIGHLY IRRITATING and can be quite distracting. It's like some crazy white noise for your touch sense!
However, if it means I will get sensation back there again, I will take it for as long as I have to!!!!! Unfortunately, the right side of my bottom lip and chin still has no sensation whatsoever! I may just have to come to terms with it never coming back?!?!?! Argh!
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